Across the Universe
by Wolfspirit44
Summary: Across the universe and through time, Jellal loses his heart to strawberries and vanilla, ancient melodies and gold paint, and to a love that never dies.


**A/N: Hey guys, it's been a while. How are all of you doing? I miss talking with you *Cries***

 **This story is very dear to me, and I spent weeks typing it up. I hope it takes you on a journey like it did me, and maybe, somehow, worms its way into your heart as it did mine. I've been struggling with the concept of love as of late, and writing this story really helped me in believing once again. If you struggle with that too, here's hoping that this story restores your faith.**

 **Heavily inspired by "For You", sung by Baekhyun (ULTIMATE BIAS), Xiumin, and Chen of EXO, and "Stay with Me", sung by Chanyeol of EXO, and PUNCH. "For you" was the catalyst that sparked the idea for this, and "Stay with me" did not help in killing the flames. In fact, listening to "Stay with me" is probably what caused this fic to go from probably 4k to the whoppping 11k it is right now (the most I've ever done for a oneshot). Song lyrics appear in the piece, center and italicized.  
**

 **Please, please read, and please please please PLEASE leave a comment telling me how you felt about it. This story is really dear to me, and I hope to hear the same from you guys.**

* * *

 **Title: Across the Universe**

 **Pairing: Jerza, minor Miraxus and mentions of Nalu**

 **Word Count: 11, 171**

 **Rating: T-M for some brief nudity scenes (if even, idk man)**

 **Summary:** **Across the universe and through time, Jellal loses his heart to strawberries and vanilla, ancient melodies and gold paint, and to a love that never dies.**

* * *

 **Fiore, Now**

Jellal likes to believe he has some semblance of control over his life. He can choose when to wake up in the morning. What to eat for breakfast. What to wear. His job. Hell, he's got control of what people call him, if he really wants.

But falling in love? No, that was all fate.

He sips his tea and waits for her to come back from the bathroom. Steam from her untouched latte rises from her cup, and he watches it dance in intricate shapes before dissolving. He smiles, thinking of the owner of that cup, and takes another sip.

He may have control over some aspects of his life, but falling in love is not one of them. However, no matter what, he knows he wouldn't want it any other way.

He's loved her since the beginning of time, after all.

 **Earth, 300 B.C.**

Jellal sharpens his sword to perfection, the steady rasp of the stone on the blade like music to his ear. While everyone is busily running around in a panic, preparing for their chief's cousin's tribe to come visit, Jellal sits in his hut, calmly sharpening his blade. He wasn't born to panic in times like these. He's a warrior, bred to be strong and stealthy, and firm where others should bow.

He stands when a fellow warrior, Gray, enters his hut, already wearing his finest furs around his waist. Grey and black war paint decorate his naked chest, dancing across his pectorals and snaking lines across his abs. In his hands is a bowl of paint.

"Your turn, Jellal", Gray says.

Jellal sighs and stands, setting his sword to the side, and allows Gray to run his fingers up and down Jellal's chest and back, painting him in the patterns of their tribe. He leaves Jellal's face alone, since Jellal already has his mark.

"Remember, this gathering is also for you," Gray murmurs, fingers barely brushing across the maroon marking decorating Jellal's face. "Laxus will want you to pick out a maiden from their tribe, to forever bond our tribes together"

"My brother needs to let me live my life," Jellal replies firmly, turning around and dropping his trousers. He then reaches for his ceremonial robes, draping the fine furs around his body. "He leads this tribe, not I."

"Yes, but you're still one of our leaders. In case Laxus falls-"

"He won't fall," Jellal says firmly, turning back to Gray with smouldering eyes. He snatches his sword and slings it into its sheath over his back. "Not while I am alive to protect him."

Gray opens his mouth to refute, but Jellal silences him with a look, and leaves his tent. Outside, the village women are scurrying about, preparing food or decorating their bodies. Jellal sees the young village girls painting themselves golden, deeming them pure and fit for marriage. One of them, a beautiful busty brunette called Ari, spots him looking and smiles, twisting her body around so he can see her golden breasts, nipples perky in the brisk wind. Jellal looks away.

"She fancies you, you know," Gray says, coming out to stand next to him. Jellal scoffs and walks away towards his brother's tent, Gray following close behind.

"I don't care. She's not my type, and that's besides the point. Weren't you the one to tell me I had to marry one of Orga's women anyway?"

"Well yes, but you can always marry another, or take Ari as a concubine. No one would look down upon it."

"I don't care."

Up ahead, Jellal can see Laxus pacing, his wife Mirajane standing off to the side, biting her lip in concern. She is a beautiful woman, and stands out among the beauties in the village. She is from another land, far to the west. When Jellal and Laxus were young and ambitious, they led their warriors into the surrounding lands, pillaging their neighbor villages. That was where, in one specific village that no longer exists, she was found. Laxus had become so taken with her pure white hair and beautiful blue eyes, he'd spared her from her village's fate and took her as his wife.

"Laxus, Mira," Jellal says gruffly as he walks up. Mira acknowledges him with a tilt of her head, but Laxus continues to pace back and forth. Jellal sighs and walks up, placing a heavy hand on his brother's shoulder.

Laxus whirls. "Who-"

"It's me, you imbecile," Jellal says. "Calm down."

Laxus' shoulders relax. "Brother," he says. "What do you want?"

"I request a hunt before Orga and his warriors come."

Simultaneous groans emit from both Gray and Laxus. "Jellal," Gray complains from behind. "You can't just go on a hunt to avoid Orga."

"I am not avoiding anyone."

Laxus barks out a bitter laugh. "But you request a hunt, which for you, lasts for several suns. Orga will be coming before the moon rises."

Jellal raises a brow.

"No," Laxus says. "I need you here to do your duty as my brother, my second in command."

Now dismissed, and forced to stay confined within the village, Jellal returns to his tent, where he practices his swordsmanship outside. Women pass by him, whispering and giggling, but he pays them no mind. He is one of the most eligible bachelors in the village, and he knows that many of the women fancy him for a mate, however, he wants no part of it. Especially since he's already promised to another, some woman from Orga's tribe he's never met before. Jellal grits his teeth and slashes at an invisible foe. He knows he needs to choose someone in order to secure this pact, but Jellal is a warrior, not a peace maker. He's made to start wars, not end them.

Ari passes by as he takes a break, and she runs her fingers up and down his chest, stopping to draw circles around his pectorals. It sends a pleasurable shiver up and down Jellal's body, and in a moment of weakness, he leans into her touch.

"Do I please you, warrior?" she purrs into his ear, lips brushing his throat. Her hands continue to torture his skin, etching dirty secrets into his skin. He doesn't answer at first, busy trying to concentrate as her fingers dip past the lining of his furs.

"Will you have me, great one?" she whispers, taking his hand and slipping it into her coverings. He groans unintentionally as he fondles her breast, and she smiles against his skin. She reaches up to kiss him, and when her lips touch his, the curtain of lust lifts from his eye. He snarls, pushing her away from him and lifts his sword to keep her from coming back.

"Leave me," he growls, eyes burning with anger. She huffs and whirls around, storming away.

Jellal's chest heaves, and he snarls in anger once she is gone, slamming his sword down. His body tingles from Ari's touch, and he groans at the heat pooling in his groin. He considers going into his tent to take care of himself before Orga gets here, but before he can make up his mind, he hears the horns.

 _They're here._

Jellal joins in with the villager, who pile towards the entrance of their village. He makes his way towards the front, next to Laxus' side, and places a hand on his sword, just in case. Laxus eyes him warily, but doesn't say anything. It's Jellal's duty to protect his brother, and Laxus knows he can't stop Jellal.

When he sees Orga, Jellal has to stop himself from drawing his sword. The man is huge, with dyed turqouise hair. His chest is exposed, baring his black chieftain tribal tattoos. Orga bares his teeth in what appears to be a smile (Jellal can't be too sure), and moves forward to greet Laxus halfway. Jellal eyes the men behind Orga warily for one wrong move, but everyone (albeit but him), seems to be content with the exchange.

"Jellal," Orga greets, nodding his head. Laxus glares at Jellal from Orga's side, as if reminding him to behave. Jellal scoffs internally, but forces himself to give Orga a very tense nod.

"Well then," Laxus says, clapping Orga on the back. "Let us celebrate."

* * *

Jellal hates celebrations. There's too many bodies moving around, way too close for comfort, and he's drinking some strange concoction that Gray put into his hands the minute he found Jellal. So he stands there uncomfortably while men and women dance around the blazing bonfire, and tries his hardest not to scream.

Then he sees her.

At first, he thought it was simply a trick of the light, the fire's glint reflecting off her hair. Then she turns, and he realizes that no, it was not a trick, but that her hair is actually blood red. Scarlet.

He's never seen hair like that before. She must be a foreigner, like Mira. The colors around here reflect the country itself: dark, gray, blue. Laxus is an anomaly in itself, but then again, their mother had light hair, which probably explains it.

But that brings us back to the girl. The girl Jellal can't seem to take his eyes off of. She's demure, standing quietly to the sides of the celebration, much like him. She bites her lip in intervals of two to three minutes, and plays with her hair every five. She's dressed in plain furs, unlike the women accompanying her, but it only draws his attention more. Her exposed collarbones and flat stomach are covered with scrawling designs of gold paint, and if he could see her legs, they would probably look much the same.

At one point, the other women ask her to sing. Jellal watches as she protests at first, but finally relents, and they push her into the middle of the crowd. Jellal finally catches a glimpse of her fully body, and as he predicted, her legs, long and lean, and painted gold. Jellal stares, mesmerized, as she gracefully moves her body and croons a melody. Her voice weaves itself around Jellal's soul, and he finds himself being drawn to her in ways he can't understand. His entire being shivers with a want, no, a _need_ , to be with her, to have her in every way possible.

He forces himself to look away from her. Perhaps now would be a good time to slip away. He's suffocating here, and can't breathe in this heaving mass of writhing bodies. He eyes Laxus one more time, whose arm in arm with Mira, and deems it alright to slip away for a few moments. So he slips away, and leaves to sit in the small clearing right outside of the village. He can still hear, and partially see the celebration, but at least his head is clear enough to think.

"Is it true?" a voice says behind him, and Jellal stiffens, chills running up and down his spine. He's never heard that voice before, but there's only one person that can cause such a reaction.

Her.

"Is what true?" Jellal asks, not turning around. He doesn't trust himself enough too.

"Your face, the tattoo on your face. I've heard rumors, but I wasn't sure if they were all that, just a rumor."

"Why don't you come over and take a look?" He challenges, a message clearly implied in his words. He can tell by the silence that comes after his question. She knows. He means so much more.

He holds his breath as quiet footsteps make their way over to him, and closes his eyes when body lowers itself down before him. His body goes rigid when gentle fingers press against his cheek, just below his right eye. Warmth floods his body, and his cheek tingles when she touches him. He leans into her touch, and hears her gasp.

He opens his eyes, and is met with beautiful brown doe eyes, flecked with gold. She leans back, and he's faced with regal cheekbones, full lips, and that beautiful hair, framing her cheeks and flopping over into her eyes. She's beautiful.

He reaches up and cups her cheek, satisfied when her eyes flutter close in bliss, and she nuzzles into his palm. Her hands drop from his face to trace patterns across his skin. It creates a different sensation that Ari's did. Where Ari had elicited lust and shivers, this woman draws love and warmth. This close, he can smell her scent, strawberries and vanilla, and it pulls at something within Jellal, some strange instinctual pull to hold this woman and never let go.

"What is your name?" Jellal breathes, leaning forward to press their foreheads together. "Beautiful one, what is your name?"

She looks at him with those beautiful, expressive eyes, and Jellal feels something stir within his heart. He knows, in that moment, that whatever he feels for this girl, someday could be something he can call love.

"Erza."

 _But I don't know_

 _When did you start living in my heart?_

 **Denduron, Halla**

 **Era 124**

Jellal hates the mines. He hates everything about them: they're dark and dank, full of bats and spiders and whatever other Denduron filth that lurks under the earth. He hates the long hours toiling away below ground, hacking at rock and minerals.

He also hates being a slave.

He wipes his brow of sweat, and sighs, leaning against his shovel, and looks around. He's surrounded by other Milago (like him), and beyond that, he can see the Bedoowan guards watching, hands on their swords. Jellal curses at them under his breath, and resumes his job before one of them can yell at him. He's got to have as much glaze as possible when the quotas are called, if he wants to have dinner.

Suddenly Jellal's heart begins to flutter in his chest, moments before a breeze comes and ruffles the fabric of Jellal's pants and tousles his hair. It's not uncommon for wind to make its way into these tunnels, due to drafts and air currents and the whatnot, but that's not what catches Jellal's attention. The smell of strawberries and vanilla is carried through the air, permeating Jellal's nostrils and uncovering images in his head- images on the very edges of fuzzy dreams he'd long forgotten. There's gold paint, and fire, a brilliant scarlet, and that scent. It pulls at the very recesses of Jellal's memories and he yearns to find the owner of that scent. He has to.

He abandons his post, carrying his bucket of glaze to avoid suspicion, and follows the scent trail. He follows it down a tunnel until it opens up into a larger cavern, glowing with torches. Jellal hides in the shadows to avoid being seen, because standing in the middle of the cavern is none other but Queen Kagan, surrounded by her maidservants. She's talking to one of the Bedoowan guards while looking through buckets of glaze.

But Jellal's attention is caught on one of the maidservants. She's got beautiful red hair, pulled back into a high ponytail. It catches the light, and looks like a flaming rope that drapes around her. She's dressed in a simple blue gown, but looks even more stunning than Kagan herself, who is draped in fabric of fine gold and weaved with gems. Jellal thinks the girl is the most beautiful creature to ever exist.

"Erza, come here," Kagan says, and the girl steps forward. Jellal frowns, rolling the name _Erza_ over his tongue. He likes it. He stares at her beautiful swanlike neck, and feels a strange warmth flooding through his body.

The two women converse quietly, but Jellal doesn't move. He stares at Erza, unable to stop his pounding heart, and allows strange memories to wash over him. He's still frozen once they leave, Erza disappearing in a twirl of skirts and the scent of strawberries and vanilla. He's left with the ghosts of the past whispering words into his heart.

 _My heart is racing_

 _I'm still looking at you_

 _Because I keep running out of breath._

 _I'm still watching over you_

 _From far away_

 **Pandora, 2200**

Jellal loves flying. His _Ikran_ , Kotalu _,_ is a beautiful combination of blue and teal. Jellal gently taps Kotalu's shoulder and whispers to him through their bond to land. Kotalu responds, soaring down through the clouds, gracefully weaving through the underbrush to land on the forest floor. As much as Jellal loves flying, it is his turn to hunt for the clan.

He sends Kotalu off with a gentle pat on the snout and a silent conversation. Then Kotalu takes off, and Jellal once again is thankful to the first humans who were able to mate with the Na'vi. He is a product of that bond, neither fully human nor fully Na'vi. He is a mixture of the two. He looks human, with pale skin and regular human features, except his eyes are amber (a trait of the Na'vi), and he's about seven feet tall, and skinnier than an average human. Plus, you can't forget the tail, or the faint stripes running across his body. His hair is probably a product of the human/Na'vi mixed blood, dark cyan. His ears are pointed, and his canines are more pronounced.

Jellal makes his way through the forest, feet padding silently across the peat and moss. He draws his bow, keeping it at the ready as his eyes search the forest, tracking anything that moves.

Jellal really needs this hunt to be successful. His friend Natsu, and his mate Lucy, are expecting, and Natsu can't leave Lucy's side this close to her due date. Jellal really needs to bring something in today so he can help feed the growing family. Usually his friend and brother, Gray, would be by his side, but his mate was sick.

His heart aches in his chest. Na'vi people mate for life, and that makes it all the more harder to find a lifemate. Some Na'vi go through their entire lives without finding their mate. Jellal seems to be inching into the latter category. He wants a mate, _yearns_ for her, but so far, none of the Na'vi, nor the Na'vi/human hybrids have called out to him.

Suddenly, there's a rustle in the bushes ahead, and Jellal raises his bow as a female _yerik_ steps out in front of him. Jellal lets out a breath he's holding and releases his arrow. The _yerik_ falls without a sound, and Jellal takes a moment to appreciate and mourn his kill, before making his way over to his kill.

He whispers a prayer to the fallen _yerik_ , but before he can draw his knife, he senses a presence draw near. He looks up as a slim figure appears before him, and nearly drops his knife.

Jellal doesn't question Eywa. She has a plan for everyone, and everything. Everything has a reason for existing, and events happen because they were meant to. But Jellal finds himself questioning his goddess for the first time when the Na'vi woman bends down in front of him.

"You are a good hunter," she says, placing a gentle hand on the dead _yerik_. "She is with Eywa now".

The soft lilt of her voice sends shivers across Jellal's skin. A song Jellal can barely remember returns to his thoughts, and he listens to the long lost memory as he watches this woman bend over his kill.

Jellal can't bring himself to say anything. He stares at this woman, who, like him, is not fully Na'vi. It's evident in her light skin, and her pointed nose. In her beautiful red hair.

"I am Erza," the woman says, smiling warmly at him. "You are?"

 _My heart is racing_

 _I'm still looking at you_

 _Because I keep running out of breath_

"Jellal," he says. "It's nice to meet you. Are you part of the Omatikaya people?" His clan is one of the largest here on Pandora, and it wouldn't be a surprise if she was. He hasn't yet met everyone in his clan.

She shakes her head, and Jellal catches a whiff of strawberries and vanilla, bringing back memories of mines and bonfires, of blue cotton dresses and gold paint. He closes his eyes, still seeing hers reflected in the dark. Even though she's now possessing eyes of the Na'vi, golden amber cat eyes, he can still see the original, a beautiful brown flecked with gold.

"I am merely traveling," she says. "I have no clan."

Jellal opens his eyes and frowns. "You have no clan?"

She smiles, and sends a burst of warmth through Jellal's body. "No," she whispers. "I have no home. There is no place here on Pandora that I have found that feels like home yet."

She pauses, then leans forward. "Although, there's something strange about you, hunter," she continues, and Jellal's heart flutters. "With you, I feel like I could call this place home."

Jellal offers his hand. "Then do so."

She looks at his hand, then back up into his eyes. Then she smiles, and places her hand in his. "Very well," she whispered, and Jellal feels his past once again, meet his future.

 _You can pass me by because you_

 _Forgot about me_

 _Because until you remember I will_

 _Wait for you_

* * *

Many moons pass. For Jellal, time seems to have stopped, allowing him to revel in this good luck Eywa has brought him. Perhaps it was fated to be, since the beginning of time, for Jellal and Erza to always meet. Jellal doesn't question it.

Jellal and Erza talk about Erza's travels. She's been everywhere, it seems, from the Hallelujah Mountains, to the many tribes of the Tipani Clan. She's soared the skies with her _ikran_ , a beautiful green creature, and has seen _Toruk_ snatch _Pa'li_ from the air.

"I'd like to go see the ocean someday," she tells him.

"I'll go with you. Anywhere you want, any time." He tells her.

She's asleep at the moment, wrapped up in their little hammock. Jellal presses closer to her, wrapping his arms around her stomach and inhaling her scent. Strawberries and vanilla don't exist here on Pandora, and most Na'vi don't smell, however Erza's scent has remained since the beginning. Jellal smiles and nuzzles into her hair, breathing her in.

 _I love you_ , he thinks. _And until you remember me, I will always wait for you._

"I've always been by your side," he whispers quietly in her ear. She shifts, but doesn't wake. "I'd sacrifice anything for you, so don't ever erase my heart. Whichever place, whichever time, we'll always find each other. I promise.

You're my destiny, after all."

He closes his eyes, and takes one more breath of her scent. _Stay with me._

When he wakes up, he is alone. A note written on tree bark lies next to him, and he reads slowly, his heart slowly breaking.

 _Home was with you. But I can't stay._

The letter drops to the forest floor.

 _You can always come to me_

 _Back to you place_

 **Clarines, 1587**

"Prince Jellal! You can't just walk out on the meeting! You're the next-"

"Yes, yes, I know," Jellal says, turning down another hall while shedding his ceremonial robes. Behind him, his manservant and best friend, Gray Fullbuster, follows close behind, squawking indignantly as Jellal throws another article of clothing over his shoulder.

"You can't run around naked!" Gray yells, and Jellal stops abruptly, whirling around. Gray groans and stops short, nearly running into his prince. Jellal grins, and pulls off the last part of the robe, revealing his hunting outfit underneath. Jellal smirks wickedly as his friend sighs in exhaustion.

"I'm always prepared," Jellal says, and walks out of the castle towards the royal stables, Gray in tow.

"Prince Jellal, you know your mother and father would actually kill me if they found out I was letting you do this. This is the fifth time this week you've walked out on the Council. There's only so much bribing I can do before the Council rats you out to your parents. Wistal cannot run itself!"

Jellal rolls his eyes and enters the stables, seeing his favorite steed already tacked and ready. Jellal walks up to his mount and rubs its snout, offering a sugar cube. "Hello, Sable," he whispers to the black mare. "Have you missed me?" The mare lips at Jellal's sleeve, searching for more sugar.

"You're ignoring me."

Jellal turns back to Gray and claps him on the shoulder. "No, I'm not ignoring you," he says cheekily. "I'm just ignoring the weird noises emanating from your mouth."

Gray opens his mouth and narrows his eyes, but before he can retort, Jellal pulls himself up on Sable, swinging a leg over her to settle comfortably over her back. "Hand me my bow please?" Jellal says.

Gray sighs and turns reaching for Jellal's weapons. In that moment, Jellal studies Gray. He's been by Jellal's side throughout his lives, and Jellal smiles. He realizes that he's had many lifemates throughout the eons. Gray happens to be one of them; always by his side as a friend and companion. Jellal thanks Fate in that moment for giving him a friend like Gray.

"This is the last time I do anything like this for you," Gray informs him, handing Jellal his bow and quiver.

"Yes, yes," Jellal says rolling his eyes and sliding his bow over his shoulder. "I'll do my best to never put you in this situation again, your highness."

"Jell-"

Jellal spurs Sable, and she takes off, cantering out of the stables with a yelling Gray in tow. Jellal grins and raises a hand in mock salute, before letting the reins slack. Sable stretches her neck out and slips into a full gallop, taking off into the surrounding field of the countryside. Jellal inhales and smiles, gently tapping Sable's neck. She's been hand-trained by Jellal since birth, leading to a flawless bond. His unspoken command is received, and she slows down into a trot, shaking her head in disappointment.

"I know, girl," Jellal says, patting her head soothingly. "But the woods are still a several miles ahead and I don't want you to be winded when we get there."

Sable rumbles, as if to say, _You doubt my ability to run that far?_

Jellal laughs. "No, but I want you to be well rested. Remember, if this goes successfully, then you'll be carrying twice my weight after this is over."

Sable shakes her head. Jellal laughs again. "Come on girl," he says, and spurs her on again. She whinnies and breaks into a soft canter.

Twenty minutes or so later, Sable trots into the woods, and stops with a self satisfied snort. Jellal slides off her, and she turns her head. _There, that wasn't so bad at all._

Jellal smiles and gives her another sugar cube. "You're such a brat," he whispers lovingly against her nose, and she puffs into his face. Jellal smiles.

"Okay, Sable, stay here," he says, loosening her girth slightly to avoid discomfort. He takes her bit and halter off, letting them hang off the side of her saddle. "I'll be back soon."

He turns and disappears into the brush.

* * *

Jellal tracks a deer through the woods. It takes him over streams, across clearings, and through thick underbrush, until it finally stops at a pristine lake to drink. Jellal hides behind in the thick underbrush, an arrow trained to a point just behind it's shoulder. The deer, a beautiful doe, dips her slender neck down to drink. Jellal steadies his bow, and takes a breath.

A clear, beautiful voice breaks his focus, and Jellal looks up, just as a cloaked figure makes her appearance, walking towards the deer, who raises her head at the approaching figure. Jellal figures the deer will bolt, and Jellal will have a word with the person who interrupted his kill, but to his surprise, the deer flicks her tail and trots over to greet the girl. Jellal's jaw drops.

"Hello, beautiful," the girl murmurs, and that voice elicits strange feelings to stir within Jellal. Memories he thought would never surface again worm their way into his thoughts. He frowns.

"It's good to see you again, beautiful," the girl says, and the deer noses the girl's face, tugging at the hood that's covering it. "Alright, alright!" the girl laughs. "Give me a moment! You're so pushy!" The girl chuckles and reaches for her hood, lifting the cowl off her face, and Jellal's heart begins to pound erratically.

"Are you happy now?" Erza asks, gently tapping the doe on the nose.

Jellal can't find himself to breathe. It's been ages since he's last seen Erza, so seeing her now, like this, is something he can't comprehend. Her hair is pulled back into a fishtail braid, and hangs over her shoulder like a shiny, flaming rope. Her large brown eyes are exactly like the doe's: expressive, dark, and flecked through with gold, like he's always remembered. He's so entranced (stunned), that he drops his bow, and doesn't realize the noise he's made until both Erza and the deer look up, panic painting their expressions.

"Hello?" Erza says, voice trembling, but firm as she moves forward to cover the deer. Jellal find this a little strange; protecting an animal at the cost of her own life, but this is Erza. Anything she does, in whatever lifetime, always surprises Jellal.

He raises his hands. "I'm not dangerous," he says slowly, and steps out of the underbrush. Erza's eyes widen, and she steps back, but Jellal reaches out a placating hand. "I was passing by and I saw you. I mean no harm."

"Who are you?" Erza asks carefully, eyeing his hand. Behind her, the deer nuzzles her, and she gently reaches behind her to pat it's head.

"I'm Jellal," he says.

Her eyes widen. "Prince Jellal?" she realizes, staring at his mark as if seeing it for the first time. "Oh!" she suddenly drops into a low curtsy, lowering her head.

"No, please don't!" Jellal says, stepping forward with an outstretched hand. "Out here, I'm simply Jellal! The woods don't care about titles. We're all the same here!" He really doesn't want to see Erza lower herself to him. She should never do that. In all their lifetimes, it's always been him the one to feel the need to bow before her. She should never lower herself.

She raises her lovely head and stares at him with those eyes, eyes that have haunted him since the beginning. Hesitantly, she reaches for him and allows their fingers to meet. When they do, Jellal finds it hard to breathe. He remembers these hands. Graceful, delicate, beautiful, running over his body and across his face. Tightening in his hair when they mated under the eyes of Eywa. Meeting for the first time in the clearing by the bonfire. He pulls her to her feet as the memories wash over him.

"You're not what I expected, Jellal," she says, a soft smile touching her lips. "I think I like that."

* * *

Jellal and Erza meet nearly every day now. He rides out whenever he can, meeting her in the same clearing in the forest. There, they lie in the soft, mossy underbrush while Sable and the doe, whose name is Shika, graze together further beyond. Jellal and Erza watch them, and talk about everything and anything. She tells him how she found Shika when she was a fawn, caught in a hunter's trap. She nursed the fawn back to health, but since her mother abandoned her, Shika became attached to Erza. Jellal tells Erza how he raised Sable since she'd been a foal.

Jellal stares at Erza when she's not looking. It's amazing how many lives they've lived, through the years and across universes. They've been different people, however they're still always the same. However Jellal can't find himself to be happy about that. He has no control over each life, because if he did, he would never choose this: being so close to Erza, and yet so far.

She's different, but very much the same. Different lives call for different versions of her, but yet there is something so distinctively _Erza_ that hasn't changed since the beginning. Jellal knows she's still the same Erza, just like he knows he's the same man who fell in love with her eons ago, in a different world, a different life.

Erza tells him she likes to sing. He wants to ask her if she remembers the song she sang him when they first met. _Why did I never see you again on Denduron? Why did you leave me in Pandora? Why don't you remember me? Look at me, do you still love me?_

Erza is untouchable in this life. Her love is the forest, that much is clear. She's devoted to the trees, to the lakes, to the animals, and to Shika. Jellal knows that there is no place for him in her heart in this life. She is just out of reach.

Jellal complains to her that his mother is setting him up with a princess from Tanbarun, the neighboring country. "I don't even know this girl!" he says, staring up at the pieces of sky that break through the trees. "It's unfair."

"You're being selfish, Jellal," comes her quiet reply, which makes Jellal roll over to face her.

"What do you mean?" he asks, slightly hurt. She sighs, and stares up at the trees, not looking at him.

"Jellal, she probably feels the same way as you do. But complaining about it rather than doing your duty is not what the prince of Clarines should be doing."

"I thought status doesn't matter out here."

Erza closes her eyes, and Jellal studies her long lashes, remembering how they brushed up against his skin when they kissed, back on Pandora. "You can't hide out in these woods forever, Jellal. Somewhere out there, a girl is giving up everything, uprooting her life, for you. She may even be giving up the love of someone else for you. Don't be selfish. This girl deserves someone who wants her."

Jellal frowns. "You're right," he says, and that makes Erza open her eyes and look at him. "She does. But so do I. I know what it feels like to love someone I cannot have. To love someone the Fate won't let me have." _This time._

Erza sits up. "Love is not an easy thing, Jellal," she whispers. "Perhaps it may find you again, in a different life. Right now, I think you should focus on the love Fate has given you now. Learn to love her. She is the one for you, in this life."

* * *

Years pass, and Jellal marries the princess Ultear from Tanbarun. She is a beautiful girl, with dark hair and light skin. She smiles easily and has a lovely laugh, but there is sadness in her eyes. Jellal finds out that she did have a love back home, a farmer boy who continues to hold her heart, even when she is married to another. Jellal knows this, and gives Ultear her space, which she is grateful for. They are a strange couple, not lovers, but a tentative friendship. Ultear seems to know that Jellal's heart belongs to another, something they can relate on.

Jellal rides out one day to meet Erza in the woods. Sable breathes heavily now, tiring more easily in her old age, but never relents when Jellal asks her to. She is a stubborn and proud creature, and reminds him so much of Kotalu. Jellal kisses her snout and releases her, allowing her to go see Shika, who is heavy with fawns. Erza smiles and meets him halfway, hugging him close.

"How is Ultear?" she asks.

He shakes his head and sits down. "She misses home," he says, patting the earth next to him.

Erza smiles sadly and sits. "It's understandable."

"I'm trying, Erza," he says, staring straight ahead. "I'm doing my best to love her, like you said. It isn't easy, but I'm trying. I'm all she has."

"I know, Jellal," she says.

"It's hard, Erza," he says, turning to her. She looks at him with her beautiful eyes, and Jellal can't pull away. "It's my duty to marry Ultear, but there are times when I can't bring myself to continue this. I still can't love her, no matter what I try. She is beautiful, and kind, and caring, but she's not the one for me."

"Marriage is a blank slate, Jellal," Erza says. He frowns, confused, but she continues before he can speak. "It's an opportunity, to create a bond, a relationship between two people. It's your canvas to create anything."

She whistles a soft tune, and Shika and Sable trot over. Erza smiles and pulls a carrot out of her dress and snaps it in half, giving each animal a piece. Then she turns to Jellal. "I think it'd be a privilege to be loved by someone like that. Someone who takes a marriage and turns it into a beautiful piece of art."

Jellal stares at her, and feels his world crashing upon him. He stares at her doe eyes flecked through with gold that have been unchanged through the eons, and feels the memories rushing through him. He sees their past and their futures reflected in her eyes, merging as one.

And despite the ever changing world surrounding them, Jellal knows that this Erza sitting next to him, is still the same Erza he met eons ago. Despite the passage of time, she has remained a constant, like the planets that revolve around the sun, and the stars he sees above his head. She is the same Erza he's always known, and in this moment, that's all he needs.

 _It's a different place, a different time_

 _But my love is right_

 **The Northern Water Tribe, 699 AD**

Jellal stares at the carnage surrounding him. He scuffs his boots in the ice and frowns when he sees the limp body of a waterbender being dragged away. The girl can't be any older than sixteen years old, and her empty, dark eyes seem to be staring into his soul.

"What a waste of life," a voice says next to him, and he turns, nearly colliding with his fellow soldier, Erik. Erik frowns as he watches the dead girl thrown onto the growing pile of dead waterbenders. Jellal looks on, as Natsu Dragneel, one of their accompanying firebenders, prepares for the mass burial. He thinks of that girl, who will be burned to ash, and mourns for her.

"Why do we do this?" Jellal asks. "This is terrible."

"Because we're Fire Nation. As much as I hate it, we're soldiers of the Fire army. When we get orders, we have to follow through, as much as we hate it."

Jellal averts his eyes as Natsu opens fire (literally) on the pile of bodies. Erik, as if sensing his discomfort, takes him gently by the arm. "Come on, mate," he says gently. "Let's get something to drink."

Erik leads him down a few streets, where warfare is still evident in the broken windows, smoking houses, and the water tribe screaming and wailing over their dead. Jellal turns his eyes down, ashamed of what he- they've- done, when he hears it.

"Let go of me!"

"Aw don't be like that sugar. Show me some love!"

"You're disgusting!"

"Nurse me back to health, gorgeous-"

Jellal whirls around, searching for the owner of that voice, a voice he's known all his life. It stirs old memories within, and his eyes search the road desperately for her.

Then he sees her, in the arms of another Fire nation soldier. He's pulling at the neck of her blouse, and she's crying out in fear. Jellal snarls and throws Erik off his arm, earning a curse, before sprinting over to her, grabbing the soldier and pushing him away.

"Leave the girl alone, cadet," he snarls. "Go back to your post!"

The soldier snarls at him, but as soon as he sees Jellal's rank (Sergeant), he pales and runs off.

Jellal turns around and sees Erza for the first time in this life. He smiles and reaches a hand to her. "Hi, I'm-"

"Screw you!" She screams, slapping his arm away and running off. Jellal stares, dumbfounded, while Erik walks up with a grin on his face.

"Well, well, well, who was that little spitfire you set your sights on?" he asks, chuckling.

Jellal stares at Erza's retreating back, her red hair shining. "Her name is Erza."

* * *

Jellal meets Erza again few days later, sitting by herself on the cliffs. He stares, watching her legs dangle off the side as she stares out over the ocean. He recalls a memory from long ago, on a different planet, and smiles.

" _I'd like to go see the ocean someday."_

He clears his throat to alert her of his presence, and she whirls around, eyes narrowing dangerously as she stares at him. He approaches, hands held up in surrender, and gives her a gentle smile.

"I want to apologize for that cadet the other day," he says, lowering himself down near her. "I want you to know that he was severely punished for pulling that stunt."

She scoffs and turns away, ignoring him. He sits there and studies her, picturing beautiful golden designs across her body, from another time.

"Why'd you do it?" she asks suddenly, startling Jellal out of his reverie. He frowns, and she rolls her eyes.

"Why'd you protect me from him? He's one of your men, you could've just let him do it. Why did you help me?"

Jellal stares out over the ocean. " _I'll go with you. Anywhere you want, any time."_ His words from back then flood through him, and he closes his eyes.

"I hate war. It's a terrible thing. I will never get used it it. I can't stand by and watch while people's lives are uprooted and changed because of what I've done."

She frowns. "That's not a very Fire Nation thing to say," she says.

He shrugs. "I've seen enough pain and suffering to say whatever I want."

They lapse into a long silence. Jellal lingers in the past, eyes searching back through the memories. Finally, Erza breaks the silence.

"Does it ever get easy? Living with death all the time?"

He stares at his feet. Jellal has seen death so many times, stared it right in the face. He's watched it claim many lives, and he himself has fallen to it over and over. It never gets easier. Death isn't easy. Neither is Erza; she never was.

Jellal isn't afraid of death. He's just afraid of losing what means the most to him every time.

"It never gets easy," he finally says. "You can prepare yourself for it as much as you can, but as soon as you face it head on, all your preparations will never add up."

"Sounds like you and death meet often," Erza says.

Jellal barks out a laugh. _Oh, if only she knew._

"I'm sorry, by the way," she whispers, making him look at her. She stares out at the ocean. "I was upset, and scared. After I ran away I realized that you were helping me. Sorry for snapping at you."

He shakes his head. "No need to apologize."

"My name is Erza," she continues. "And you?"

"Jellal," he replies.

"Can I ask you a question, Jellal?"

He looks at her. "Of course."

She sighs. "Why did you save me? I'm just one of the many girls being treated like this. Why did you single me out?"

He studies her. This Erza reminds him so much of when he knew her in Clarines, full of life and natural energy. Her red hair frames her face, and he finds the urge to run his fingers through it. He takes a breath, and gets a hint of strawberries and vanilla on the wind.

"You remind me of a girl I fell in love with a long time ago."

Her eyes widen. "Oh," she says. "I do?"

Jellal smiles, and allows the memories to wash through him. "Yes. She was beautiful, and loved to sing. Do you sing?"

She blushes. "Yes," she replies, and Jellal imagines the melody of old.

Suddenly, he hears a woman's voice call out behind them and he turns, seeing an older woman standing at the path of the cliff. Erza winces, and stands up, brushing off her clothes. "That's my grandmother," she says. "I have to go."

Jellal nods, and watches as she turns and makes her way back towards her grandmother. Halfway down, she stops, and turns back to Jellal.

"Do you believe in fate?" she asks, and Jellal frowns. She shakes her head. "Sometimes my mother tells me about souls and how they continue to exist."

"What do you mean?" He asks, confused.

She looks at him. "You seem like an old soul," she says, making Jellal's heart hurt. "And I think I was fated to meet you."

Jellal opens his mouth, but Erza grins. "Hold that thought. You tell me later. I'll listen to whatever you have to say, so say it while it still matters."

She turns and runs down the path, leaving Jellal with a pounding heart and whispers of memories flooding his thoughts.

* * *

"Jellal!" a voice hollers, and he turns, seeing Erik tearing his way up the path towards him. It's been a few hours since Erza left him on the cliff, and Jellal stands, realizing it's late, and that Erik's probably getting him for curfew.

"Jellal, you need to get down to the village now!" Erik yells, coming to a halt next to him. Jellal, alarmed, rests an arm on Erik's back while the latter bends down, catching his breath. "There's no time-"

"Slow down, Erik! What's going on?" he asks, frantic.

Erik looks up at him. "That girl you saved, Erza-whatever, just picked a fight with General Zancrow."

Jellal's blood runs cold. Zancrow was notorious for his temper, and Jellal can't even think what would happen if he got his hands on Erza. Without another word, Jellal drops his hand from Erik's back and sprints back down to the village, his legs pumping with renewed vigor. When he gets down to the village, he spots a large group of people in the center of the town, and sprint towards it, shoving his way through the mas until he breaks through the center.

"Let this be a lesson to all who defy me," Zancrow is screaming, and Jellal gasps. Erza is being held by two Fire nation soldiers, her arms secured behind her back. She is snarling in anger, and Jellal's teeth clench in anger when he sees her shirt ripped open and her lip split. Zancrow is circling her, eyes burning with fury, a bite mark on his lips. Jellal doesn't need to be a genius to put two and two together.

Erza catches Jellal's eyes and smiles grimly at him. He gasps, and she mouths a silent _thank you_ , before Zancrow approaches her. Before Jellal can do anything, Zancrow's hand shoots out, sending a sharp blade of fire through Erza's heart. Jellal feels a sudden pain rip through his own heart as Erza chokes, pain flooding her eyes. He cries out, falling to his knees, and Zancrow pulls the flame blade from her chest. The soldiers drop her, and she falls to her knees, coughing up blood.

"That's where you belong, water tribe filth," Zancrow sneers, kick Erza to the ground. "On the ground."

Jellal feels tears pouring from his eyes as Zancrow approaches him. The general takes one look at Jellal, and Jellal wants to kill him. "Rise, soldier," the general spits, moving through the people. "I don't have any babies in my army."

The people begin to drift away, until it is only Jellal and Erza left in the street. He crawls his way over to her, where she lies in a puddle of her own blood. He cries, tears falling onto her face, and her eyes open, clouded over with pain.

"Jellal," she whispers, voice weak. Jellal cups her cheek and inhales her strawberry and vanilla scent.

"I'm sorry, Erza," he sobs, burying his face in her hair. "I'm so sorry."

She licks her bloody lips. "You were right," she gasps out. "I wasn't prepared."

He cries.

"Look at me," she whispers, and he raises his head so he can stare down into her beautiful eyes.

"I'm sure you and I will meet again, someday," she whispers. "Until then, stay the way you are, okay?" Her voice is deathly quiet.

He nods, and her hand comes up to cup his cheek. He grabs hold and presses a kiss to her wrist.

She smiles. "Thank you."

And then she's gone, eyes dimming and hand falling limply to the ground. Jellal sobs, clutching Erza to his chest, rocking slowly. He runs his fingers through her hair and kisses her lips. "I'm so sorry, Erza," he chants into her ear. "I'm so sorry."

 _I love you._

He doesn't know how long he stays there for, but when he stand up, Erza's limp form in his arms, it's dark out, the moon shining above. Jellal slowly makes his way out of the village towards the shore, where a lone water tribe canoe floats. Jellal lays Erza in the boat, giving her one last kiss on the forehead, before looking up at the moon, Yue.

"Take care of her," he whispers, hoping the Moon spirit will hear. Then he cuts the rope docking the boat, and sends his love out to her beloved sea. He stays there for a while, until the sea has claimed the canoe, then turns and trudges down the shore, away from this village, from the Fire nation, and from this life.

 _My heart kept aching_

 _So I wanted to forget._

 _If this is a dream, please let me wake up_

 _Are you really my destiny?_

 **The Ark, 2153**

"How's that body work coming, Jellal?" He hears the impatience in Laxus's voice and rolls out from underneath the ship's engine frame, frowning when he comes face to face with his friend and supervisor. Laxus has his arms crossed, and a pissed off scowl decorates his face.

"Okay, why? What's got your panties in a twist?" he asks, standing up and wiping the grease off his hands onto his jumpsuit.

Laxus just sighs. "Our deadline just got moved. If we can't make this engine run more efficiently on less oxygen fuel, rations are going to be cut down even more. And with Mira so far along..."

He trails off and curses under his breath.

Jellal sighs and stands up. Everyone knows that the Ark's supply of oxygen is running low. Everyone is already on air rations, and any more could be detrimental to hundreds. In order to prevent that from happening, Jellal and the other zero-g mechanics have been working night and day to try and rework the engine to use less oxygen fuel. It's long, tiring work, and Jellal now sees the fatigue lines that mar Laxus' face. It's almost his shift.

Jellal pats Laxus on the shoulder. "Go to Mira," he instructs gently. "She needs you."

Laxus shakes his head. "I can't. I have my shift."

Jellal gives him a small push towards the door. "I'll take it. Don't worry. You need rest, and you need to be with your wife."

"Jell-"

"Go," Jellal says. He sits back down on the floor. "You can pay me back when we're on the ground."

Laxus gives him a sad smile and turns to leave. "Thank you, Jellal."

Jellal shakes his head and rolls back under his section of the engine. It rumbles and groans above, and he taps one metal section. "Behave," he scolds, aware that yes, he is talking to an inanimate hunk of metal, but he is a mechanic, and he speaks to it anyway. "I need you to work with me. It's just you and me tonight anyway."

It's a bad time for a woman to be pregnant. Laxus knows this. Mira knows this. But this is their first and only child, and Jellal knows how much the couple has been yearning for a child. He can't blame them for wanting to keep it, despite the horrific timing. Jellal sighs. Well, that just means he has to get this engine working correctly, so that child never has to see the day its parents suffer from oxygen rations.

A few hours later, Jellal takes his dinner break, heading towards the commons to receive his small meal. A few other people see him and whisper, but Jellal ignores them. He knows he's got a questionable reputation on board, being one of the few mechanics that's been outside in space, but really, it's nothing special. It's empty, and Jellal has this terrible feeling that space is simply a reflection of what Jellal is: empty. He too, is empty like space, filled with nothing. He's not like Laxus, who has Mira to fill the void, or Natsu, who has Lucy. He's like this ship, empty and floating in a void of nothingness. Lost.

He takes his meal back to the engine room, intending to eat there with the company of the machines. That's where he feels most comfortable.

However, when he enters the room, a figure lying collapsed on the floor seizes his attention, and he nearly drops his tray.

It's Erza.

His heart is pounding out of his chest. He never thought he'd see her in this lifetime, but here she is, lying unconscious on the ground. He makes his way over, and his heart sinks in his chest when he bends down next to her.

She is so thin. He runs a hand up and down her body, not touching her. He can see her gaunt cheekbones, and her arms are thin and bony. He know that if her were to lift her shirt, he'd see each protruding rib. She's starving.

She must be one of the jobless. They have a couple, here on the Ark, that have no specific job because the Council deemed them unfit. Jellal feels tears coming to his eyes at the sight of his love, so malnourished, in front of him. He gently lifts her up, maneuvering his way under her so her head rests in his lap. He runs his fingers through her hair, which was once so vibrant and thick, now thin and grimy. She shifts, opening familiar brown eyes, clouded over with pain and suffering. When she sees him, she jerks, alarmed, but Jellal shushes her.

"It's okay," he whispers. "I've got you. You're safe."

She relaxes, and Jellal helps her sit up. He rests her against the wall and covers her legs with his jacket. "Here, have some food," he urges, pressing his bread roll into her hand. He's hungry, but she needs food so much more than he does.

She accepts gratefully, chewing steadily and watching him with those beautiful eyes. Only after swallowing, does she speak.

"Thank you," she whispers, gratitude lightning up in those doe eyes that reminds him of a different life, with woods and a small deer named Shika. "You didn't have to."

"It's no worry," Jellal says. He reaches a hand forward, aching to feel her touch once more. "I'm Jellal."

She smiles and reaches forward. "Erza."

 _The faint light was turned off_

 _But my eyes are lighting up again because of you_

* * *

A few weeks pass. Jellal keeps Erza a secret, hiding her out in his room at night, and bringing her to the engine room when he works. He picks up more shift, which isn't suspicious seeing as Laxus is worrying about Mira, and their deadline is coming up fast. He finds out Erza is quite good at mechanic- actually, she's fantastic- and she often helps him out.

"Why aren't you a zero-g mechanic like me? You're better at this than I am," he asks her one day when she takes over from him, welding the machinery like she was born to do it.

"I was supposed to," she says, voice muffled. All Jellal can see is her legs, sticking out from underneath the engine. She looks so much healthier than when he first found her, but sharing meals isn't enough. In order for her to get healthy, she needs a full meal. Jellal processes what he has to do as he watches her legs twitch.

"I passed the exam with flying colors," she continues, unaware of Jellal's internal dilemma. "But I couldn't pass the physical exam. My lungs are too weak."

"And the Council didn't find another suitable job for you?"

Erza rolls out from under the machine. There's a spot of grease on her upper cheek, and Jellal fights of the urge to wipe it off. Erza sits up, and wipes her hand on the rag on her belt. "The Council doesn't bother with people they deem unfit. The only reason they didn't float me was because I wasn't eighteen. However, in a couple months, as soon I turn eighteen, they arrest me for loitering or something stupid like that and float me. That's a fate suiting worthless scum like me."

Jellal feels rage surge up in him. "You're not worthless, and you're not scum!" he snarls, slamming his fist down on the ground. "You matter to me!"

Erza blinks, alarmed, and then a smile touches her lips, so familiar, and brings back memories of giant trees and soaring through skies, of strawberries and vanilla, and of horses and deer. Jellal finds himself staring at her lips and hears the echo of a melody from eons ago.

"Has anyone every told you you're full of surprises? You're not what I expected."

For a moment, Jellal closes his eyes, and imagines another life, another time, when they met at the edge of a lake, and she spoke the exact same words to him.

"Did you really expect me to be like one of those cold hearted council members?"

She shakes her head. "Well no, you did take me in when most others would've left me to starve. Thank you."

He smiles and takes her hand. "Of course. I'd never let you starve." _I'd sacrifice anything for you._

"You're a very kind person, Jellal, I want you to know that. I barely know you, but it feels as if I've known you for forever. Do you feel that way too?"

 _I've loved you since the beginning_ , he thinks, but doesn't say it. He simply smiles and agrees.

* * *

He gets caught a couple weeks later, stealing food from the pantries, enough to feed someone for several days. He gets thrown into a cell, where he's told to wait while the Council decides his fate. Jellal scoffs at that; he's twenty one years old. He's going to be floated.

Erza comes to visit him a few days before his fate will be announced. She's crying as she's let inside, and Jellal immediately rushed to her, pulling her into a tight embrace. She buries her face in his shirt, and Jellal inhales her strawberry and vanilla scent, wrapping his arms tighter around her.

"Why'd you do it, Jellal?" she asks.

"You needed it," he informs her.

She shakes her head. "You shouldn't have done it. Not at my expense. I'm not worth it."

He pulls away and takes her chin, making her look up at him. "Listen to me," he says firmly. "You're worth the world, and I wish the Council knew that when they threw you to the side. If I had to, I would do it again, all for you. In a heartbeat."

Her eyes widen, and she takes a hold of his arms. "You barely know me, Jellal," she whispers.

 _You can pass me by because you_

 _Forgot about me_

 _Because until you remember I will_

 _Wait for you_

He finds himself shaking his head. "No, Erza-" he begins, but the door opens, and a guard enters. "Time's up," the guard says, and Jellal sees Erza's beautiful eyes fill with fear.

"No! I need more time," she yells as a guard grabs her by the arm. "Let me-"

"Erza, it's okay," Jellal says, stepping forward to comfort her, but another guard hits his cheek, sending him reeling to the floor. He vaguely hears Erza screaming and crying, and he tries to get up to go to her, but another blow sends him back down, where blissful darkness takes it's hold.

* * *

Two days later, Jellal is floated. As he stands in the sealed chamber, eyes on the Council members who have sealed his fate. He hopes Erza is okay. He believes she's okay, she has to.

One of the guards places his hand on the red button. Jellal closes his eyes, and thinks of the many pasts he's shared with Erza. He thinks of their futures. They'll have many futures together.

She's okay.

She's okay-

And then there's no more.

* * *

If Jellal had lived another two days, he would've known that the engine was fixed, and rations were taken away. The Ark was saved, and oxygen was given back in full to the entire population.

All thanks to Erza, who had fixed the engine on her own.

 _Feels like I've loved you from a long time ago_

 _Feels like I'm being pulled by something_

 **Fiore, Present Day**

Jellal is at the bookstore when the fated day arrives. He's busy behind the counter, ringing a customer up when he hears the doorbell ring, signaling the arrival of someone. Jellal looks up, expecting it's either Laxus with lunch, or maybe Gray with that latte promised him _over three hours ago_ -

It's not.

Jellal's jaw drops, and he forgets to give the lady her change. He can't tear his eyes off the door, because standing there, dressed in ripped black skinny jeans and a white top, is Erza. She looks at him with her doe eyes, and Jellal jerks, turning back to his customer and giving her change. When he looks up, Erza is gone, although he can see her red hair down one of the aisles.

Painful memories are pouring through Jellal's mind, and he tries desperately to push them out. Seeing Erza is painful, because he's reminded of all the times he's lost her. This is just going to be another life where he loses her again, because it always seems to be like-

"Jellal," a voice says, and he jerks, looking up into familiar brown eyes flecked gold. Erza smiles prettily and bends down, resting her arms on the counter. "That is your name, right?"

He gasps. "H-How did you know that?" He stammers, heart pounding. Strawberry and vanilla float around his senses, and his body screams for her.

She smiles. "I'm going to say something crazy," she begins. "And you might not believe me, but there's all these strange images flooding my mind, and you're in them."

He freezes.

"It feels as if we've known each other since the beginning of time," she continues. "I loved you throughout the millennia, but I didn't know that until now. These memories are all I have of you, and I've been searching for you for a long time. I think I loved you in all my past lives, Jellal."

She stares at him. "I don't know when you started living in my heart, but all I know is that fate led me to you in all my lives, and that's what brought me here today."

She smiles. "I know this is a lot for you, and now you can tell me I'm crazy and kick me out of the store. But if you remember me, at all, I have something to tell you. There was one life where I told you to tell me something while it still mattered, and that I would listen. I'm listening now."

" _I'll listen to whatever you have to say, so say it while it still matters."_

And just like that, Jellal feels his past, his present, and his future finally meet at an intersection. He searches Erza's eyes, and sees the same love and memories that have been lingering in his mind for eons. This is his Erza, from the beginning.

 _Say it while it still matters._

"I love you."

 _You can pass me by because you_

 _Forgot about me_

 _Because until you remember I will_

 _Wait for you_

 _In the same place, in the same time_

 _We're together_

 _You can always come to me_

 _Back to your place_

 **~FIN~**

* * *

 **A/N: Tons of references to Pandora (James Cameron's Avatar), Akagami no Shirayukihime (great anime, highly reccommend), the Pendragon Series, Avatar: the Last Airbender, and the 100. Dates totally not accurate (definitely estimated), and all other characters besides Fairy Tail appearances are OC.**

 **I highly reccommend listening to the two songs that inspired this piece, or at least read the lyrics. Hopefully you will understand why the lyrics inspired this fic to be written.**

 **As always, I hope you liked it, and drop a review if you did. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you all soon. Love you!**

 **-Wolf**


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